YEAR 4: THE PUNIC WARS (5 lessons) Contents Include: The First Punic War Hannibal and Carthage The start of the Roman Empire Roman Roads Suggested Teacher Resources: A Little History of the World by Ernst Gombrich (chapters 13, 15 and 17). The BBC primary site has Roman resources and information for pupils. BBC History has overviews of different aspects of Roman history. The BBC drama documentary ‘Hannibal: Rome’s Worst Nightmare’ (2006), and the History channel website. Lesson 1. Conflict with Carthage For the first two centuries of the Republic, Rome’s power spread through Italy. However, they had no overseas territory and did not have a strong navy to control the Mediterranean Sea. The great Mediterranean power at the time in the was a city called Carthage. The people of Carthage, called Carthaginians, were expert sailors who spread their power through North Africa, Spain, and the Islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. The Romans saw their empire as a threat, especially as Sicily was so close to the Italian mainland. A dispute over Sicily kick-started the first great foreign war in Roman history. See page 127 of What Your Year 4 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary Assessment Questions To understand who By the third century BC, Rome Shade in a map showing the land Carthage Who were the the Carthaginians had spread its power throughout controlled by Carthage and Rome before Mediterranean Carthaginians? were, and why they Italy, but did not have any the first Punic War. In the following Tunisia came into conflict overseas territories. lesson, once you have learned the empire Why were the with the Romans. outcome of the War, shade in the Sicily Carthaginians so The great power in the second map to illustrate Roman gains powerful? Mediterranean at the time was (resource 1). This map shows Europe Carthage, based in North Africa before the war, this map shows Europe Why did the Romans (modern day Tunisia). afterwards. see Carthage as a threat? They were great sailors, and This and this are good images of controlled an empire spreading Carthage, showing its famous port, across North Africa, Spain, and which will allow pupils to understand its the Islands of Corsica, Sardinia control over the Mediterranean. and Sicily. The Romans saw their power as a threat. This is an excellent video to introduce the Carthaginians. 1. First Punic War At the start of the First Punic War, Carthage was the major power in the Western Mediterranean. In comparison, Rome only controlled the Italian peninsula and had no overseas territories. In order to understand this, shade in the two territories, and label the relevant countries. Next lesson, when you learn about the outcome of the first Punic War, you will be able to shade in the second map. Europe before the First Punic War (264 BC) Europe after the First Punic War (241 BC) Key Roman Carthage Lesson 2. The First Punic War In 264 BC, war broke out between Carthage and Rome. It was known as the First Punic War, because Romans used the Latin word ‘Punicus’ to describe people from Carthage. Sparked by a dispute over who should control Sicily, the war lasted for twenty years. Much of it was fought at sea so the Romans, who until now only had a strong land army, had to build a navy to rival the sea power of Carthage. This they did with the help ofGr eek ship builders, and Rome won a clear victory. By the end of the First Punic War, Rome controlled Sicily, its first overseas territory. See page 127 of What Your Year 4 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary Assessment Questions To understand the The first Punic war began in 264 This is a good video about the rise and Punic War How did the first Punic outcome of the First BC with a conflict over the island fall of the Carthaginian civilisation, which Navy war began? Punic War. of Sicily. covers the First Punic War. This video Sicily profiles the great Carthaginian general Greek How did the Romans The war lasted for twenty years, Hamilcar Barca. Carthaginians win the first Punic and much of it was fought at sea. territory war? The Romans, who until then had Study how the Romans managed to no naval power, had to build develop a navy to rival the Carthaginians. What were the hundreds of ships with Greek In particular, look at the design of the consequences of the help to fight the Carthaginians. ‘Corvus’ which allowed Romans to board first Punic war? Carthaginian ships and fight hand to The war ended with a Roman hand combat, which was their speciality. victory, and the Romans took See here. control of Sicily, which became their first overseas territory. Once pupils have learnt the outcome of the First Punic War, they complete the worksheet from last lesson shading in the areas won by the Romans. Lesson 3. Hannibal of Carthage Hannibal is one of the greatest military leaders in world history. He was the son of Carthaginian General Hamilcar Barca, who fought the first Punic War. Hamilcar made his son promise to dedicate his life to seeking revenge from Rome, and Hannibal did exactly that. He established a new base of Carthaginian power in Spain, and from there, Hannibal led a famously bold attack. Instead of attacking Rome by sea, he marched through Spain and France and over the Alps into Italy, taking Rome by surprise. In order to further shock the Romans, he bought forty elephants from Africa! This was the Second Punic War. See page 127 of What Your Year 4 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary Assessment Questions To understand Hannibal is one of the great Trace the journey of Hannibal from Hannibal Who was Hannibal? who Hannibal was, military leaders in world history. Carthage, to Spain, over the Alps and to The Alps and how he fought He was the son of a Carthaginian Rome on a map. Annotate the map Carthaginian Why was Hannibal so the Second Punic general, Hamilcar, who made him labelling what happened at each stage of invasion keen to defeat the War. promise to dedicate his life to his bold invasion of Rome during the Second Punic Romans? defeating Rome. Second Punic War (resource 2). Study War this image of Hannibal crossing the Alps What was so bold Hannibal attacked Rome from his to appreciate what an astonishing about Hannibal’s base in Spain by marching with decision it was. invasion of Italy? 40 elephants through Spain and France, and over the icy slopes of There are a selection of videos about Why was Hannibal the Alps. Hannibal from the History channel, such an effective available here. This is a contribution military ruler? For sixteen years, Hannibal from Horrible Histories. tormented Rome with frequent attacks, but never managed to take the city. 1. Hannibal crosses the Alps Trace the journey of Hannibal from Carthage, to Spain, over the Alps and to Rome. Annotate the map labelling what happened at each stage of his bold invasion of Rome during the Second Punic War. 1. Hannibal crosses the Alps (complete) Trace the journey of Hannibal from Carthage, to Spain, over the Alps and to Rome. Annotate the map labelling what happened at each stage of his bold invasion of Rome during the Second Punic War. Hannibal makes the brave decision not to invade Rome by sea, but to go Hannibal lost many men (an overland. With an army of 90,000 infantrymen, and 12,000 cavalry, plus elephants) crossing the Alps, forty elephants, he marches though Spain and France and to the foot of the but made it into Italy. He Alps mountain range. Rome believed that no army could pass through this swept through Roman rocky, icy range of mountains, but Hannibal was mad enough to try. territory and won a string of victories. In 216 BC Hannibal In 221 BC, Hannibal took won a great victory against a command of the Carthaginian Roman army twice his size at Army in Spain, aged only 26. Cannae, and surrounded In 219 BC he crossed the Rome. River Ebro and attacked the Roman city of Saguntum. This For 16 years Hannibal started the Second Punic tormented the Romans, but Rome War. Saguntum never took the city. Eventually, Rome realised they only way to end the war As a boy Hannibal was taken was to attack Carthage itself. to Spain to fight in the Carthage This forced Hannibal to leave Carthaginian army. He spent Italy to defend his home city, his early fighting to gain and in 202 BC, the Romans control of the peninsula. finally beat the Carthaginians. Lesson 4. The end of the Punic Wars Carthage was soundly defeated at the end of the Second Punic War, and lost all of its overseas territories to the Romans. Hannibal survived, but was later exiled from Carthage. He continued to fight for Rome’s other enemies around Europe, but died in 183 AD when he was surrounded by Roman forces, and took poison to prevent capture. The Third Punic War saw the now far stronger Romans at their most merciless: laying waste to their old enemy, destroying the old city of Carthage and selling its entire population into slavery. The last Punic War ended in 146 AD, Rome was the undisputed Mediterranean power. See page 128-130 of What Your Year 4 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary Assessment Questions To understand how At the end of the Second Punic Write an obituary for Hannibal, Mediterranean What was the the Punic Wars War, Carthage was invaded, and explaining why the Carthaginian leader Roman General outcome of the Second transformed Rome they lost territory in Spain and was such an important, and feared Roman Senate Punic War? into the leading North Africa to Rome.